Ashlee & James

There’s a joke about how 230ish years ago, the English sent out their prisoners to Australia where they were kept behind bars. Now, all these years later, these ‘convicts’ returned back to England and are still behind bars – a reference to the fact that a whole bunch of Aussies move to the UK in their 20s and end up working as bartenders. This isn’t perhaps the truth when it comes to Ash and James (well James DID work behind a bar for a while), but these two Aussies met in London.

James had been there for a while, having stopped during a round-the-world trip. His short stay had turned into a few years and he was living with his brother in a big share house in Hampstead. Meanwhile, nearly 17000km away in Gippsland, a quiet part of the world tucked away in south eastern Victoria, Ash had itchy feet – she wanted to leave and see the world. She decided the best way to do this was by simply buying a one-way ticket to London and just seeing how it went. She had a friend who was on her way out of London so offered her the room she’d be leaving behind and the plans were set.

Ash packed her things and took the 22 hour flight to England with only an idea of where she would be sleeping that night. She arrived at the house and knocked. And James answered the door.